Rubber heel



. ROSS RUBBER HEEL Filed June 5, 1921 the shoe heel, and by. reason ofits rigidity Patented on. as, teas.

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BENJAMIN BOSS, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGHOB '10 PANTHER, RUBBERMANUF ACTURING COMPANY, OF STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A GOZRZPORATION ornasseosrnsn'rrs.

Application filed June 3, 1921. Serial No. 474,711.

' dency of the heel to reassume its original" curved form causes ittopress against the edges of the shoe heel. A concavo-conveX heel made offirm rubber compound will, in such case, form a close joint, or a tightedge, between the rubber heel and the shoe heel, but wherethe rubbercompound is a soft, yielding and elastic character, the tendency of therubber heel to reassume' its shape is not as great as in the case of'astifl', firm rubber heel, and as a consequence the joint between therubber heel and the shoe heel is not as tight, and besides the strainsto which the heel is subjected in use tend to move it on the shoeheel,.so that it will over-shoot the edges of the shoe heel, sometimesin one place and sometimes in another; The heels are secured by means ofnails driven through I washers embedded in the rubber, and Where a heelis of firm, comparatively inelastic compound, the washers being secured.in place by the nails, hold the heel in fixedpositiombut where therubber heel is of soft, highly elastic, yielding compound, theresistance which the washers offer to the movemcnt of the heel isgreatlyless, with the re sult that the heel, for'this reason also, is

liable to over-shoot the shoe heel at various points after trimming.Again, in the trim-j ming operation of a rigid, firm rubber heel,

the edge of'therubber heel can be brought into very close correspondenceto the size of and firmn ss, it will maintain such relation,

but where the heel is made of soft, resilient, and highly elastic rubbercompound, in the trimming of theheel to correspond to the shape of theshoe heel, the rubber gives way under the trimming tools, and thereafterwhen the heel is walked upon it over-shoots the shoe heel, and presentsan unsightly and u'nworlnnanlike a pearance.

The object of t e present invention is to produce aconcavo-convex rubberheel having provision by virtue of which, when attached to'the shoeheel, it maintains a close joint between itself and the shoe heel, and

attaching in which the liability of over-shooting the shoe heel isdiminished. To this end, the

. present invention consists in the improved rubber heel hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of theinvention, Fig. ,1 is a plan view of the 'heel, shown with its concaveattaching face uppermost; Fig. 2 is a front elevation, looking towardthe -breast of the heel; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation. The heelconsists of the usual rubber body-1', made preferably of soft, flexible,highlyelastic rubber. In order to prevent theattaching portion of theheel from expanding when it is nailed on the shoe heel, or when it issub'ected to theblows and pressures'of use, it is providedon its concave attaching face with a reinforcement 2 of canvas, which is securelyunited to the heel by vulcanization. This is accomplished Pittpreferably by using friction canvas, a piece of which of substantiallythe shape of the heel, but smaller in size, is placed in the mould ontop of, the piece of compound of which the heel is to be made, and thenthe mould parts are put together and it is subjected to pressure andheat. The rubber compound, under the influence of the heat and pressure,flows out and fills the cavity, and when the mould. is finally closed,assumes the shape of the cavity. At the end of the vulcanization, theheel with the canvas layer on its concave face vulcanized therein,comprises a singleunitary rubber heel, having a reinforcement on itsconcave side preventing elongation of the fibres of the concave side ofthe heel.

Viewed in its broader aspects, the present invention contemplates aconcave-convex heel havin its concave surface formed of material 0'greater tensile strength than the.

material of the body of the heel. This prevents the widening andlengthening of the surface of the heel, in use on the shoe, an exerts atension on the attaching surface of the rubber heel, which causes theheel strongly. to tend to reassume its original form, and thereby causesthe rubber heel edges to press with elhcient pressure upon the edges ofthe shoe heel, thereby making a ,close joint and securing a tight edgedheel.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates the use ofsoft, flexible, highly elastic rubber compound for the body of the heel,and While the best results are secured by the usetof such compound,still it is vvith-inthe ,pnrviewof the lIlVQIl "tion to make the heel Ofany suitable compound, andtmprovide it with an attaching face of greatertensile strength. than the body of the heel. The 'heel has an attachingface of relatively greater tensile strength than the 'bodyof the-heel.

The presence of this} attaching face of greater tensile strengthandrelatively less" elasticity. than thegb'ody of. the heel, stiifens. theheelnear the shoe heel,so. that it will not yield-as= does airubber heel,during the,

trimming operation, with the result that a nicer register ofoutlinebetween the heel and the shoe heel is secured, andathe main ennce oi -su h r gi temobv ates h over:-

shooting of the shoeheel by the; rubber heel.

Furthermore, the presence of; ,this layer on the attaching faceof-thevheel ofgreater tenmore firmIy-in the; body ofthe heel,andlindrical, or off other Econcavo-convex form.

iS i l 1. A rubber heel for boots and shoes. in unfiexed condition beingconsiderably con;

Having thus described the invention, what cavo-convex and ofsubstantially uniform thickness, adapted to be flattened!againstthe-shoe heel when nailed thereto and there, by caused to bearwith increased pressure on the edges of the shoe heel, having a body ofrelatively yielding and elastic rubber, and an attaching face providedwith a canvas reinforce vulcanized thereto, which being of relativelygreater tensile strength and stiff ness than the body ofthe heel,supportsit with greater rigidity during trlmming and causes themarginalv portion of the heel to bearfupon; the-shoe heelWithjoint-closing I pressure greatly in excess of that of a similarly.curved; unreinforced heel. r

A rubber heel normally of concavo-convex form deformable to flatness andhaving an unbroken vedge surface of. rubber from its treadface to itsattaching face, having a relatively thirr layer of substantiallyinextensible material at its'atta'ching face so that the neutral axes ofthe heel lie approximately atitsattaching face.

lw3-a-A deformable heel normally of -concavo convex .form having anunbroken edge surface of; rubber froruits tread face to its attachingJface, said heel'having at its attaching face a layer "of substantiallyinextensible material which is perforable by nails, said layer beingrelatively. thin, to cause the neutral axes of the heel to; dieapproximately at its attaching. face.

4. A, deformable heel, normally of concavo-convex form, comprisingabodyportion of rubber and a substantially inextensible, reinforcing elementa I vulcanized to the body portion of the heel at its concave attachingface, terminating inside of the, edge of thefheel and embedded-in andflush with the rubber, the area of said-i reinforcingelementfsufiiciently approximating the area ofsaid concaveattachingface. tov prevent substantial stretching of said concave faceduring the application of pressure in the heel attaching operation. I

5 A deformable heel normally of concavoconvex form" comprising a bodyportion of rubber anda substantially inextensible, fabric reinforcingelement, said fabric. reinforcing element terminating inside of the edgeof the heel andbeingembedded in and flush lwitii therubber at the.attaching face of the 6. A deformable heel normally of concavoconvexform onevery plane ofcross section comprising a .bodyportion of rubberand a substantially inextensible fabric reinforcing element united tothebody portion of the heel at its concave attaching face, said fabricreinforcing elementterminating inside of the edge of the heel and beingembedded in and flush with the rubber.

BENJAMIN ROSS.

